Mogg,

As you say, probably pillow talk, but yes Cremers did make up most of it and this is all outlined in more detail in the book; the question became why. Crowley followed the story from at least 1912.

It was not known how much O'Donnell made up but I found Theosophical Society documentation that confirmed Mabel Collins and Cremers were expelled late 1888, so firmly placing Cremers in London during the Ripper events and that she knew Collins. There is no evidence however, that Collins knew or met D'Onston, a Scotland Yard suspect. The only known contact of D'Onston, who had developed an occult Ripper theory based on the works of Eliphas Levi, was a 1890 article titled "African Magic" for the TS periodical 'Lucifer'. The incorporation records of the Pompadour Cosmetique Company which existed, do not bear any of their names.

I was recently invited by K. Paul Johnson, the author of "The Masters Revealed: Madam Blavatsky and the Myth of the Great White Lodge", to join a Theosophical Society message board discussion on my book which you and others here may find of interest.

http://theosnet.ning.com/profiles/blogs/jack-the-ripper-and-black-magic-new-book-examines-ts-connection-t?xg_source=activity&id=3055387%3ABlogPost%3A76416&page=3#comments

Spiro

From: mandrake <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, 28 September 2011 1:27 AM
Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Crowley and Spiritualism

Spiro

Good point - it is Vittoria Cremers recollections as related to Odonnell etc -
of Collins account of her relationship with Donston Stevenson -
do you think Cremers made it up - or that the three of them,
Cremers, Collins and Stevenson were in business together as the Pompador
Perfume company or whatever it was called?

Mogg

Mogg, no, the story of Mabel Collins having lived with the suspect D'Onston, came from Cremers, I have been able to trace this with certainty. The story was told to O'Donnell in 1930 on which he prepared a manuscript and completed in 1958 which was not published. Melvin Harris acquired it and based his theory on it which Farnell then sourced. Mabel Collins knew Cremers but did not say anything on Jack the Ripper. Crowley's story, which he heard from Cremers, was first intended to be included in the first 1929 edition of Confessions but as you know, was not completed in all volumes.